Remembering the Fallen: on this day in 2007, Lance Corporal Michael Jones of the Royal Marines was killed in action during operations in southern Afghanistan. He had been on a night mission with the SBS, travelling by helicopter, but within a couple of minutes of landing, his squad was attacked by insurgents and he was killed by a single bullet to the neck. Other members of the patrol tried to save him, despite being under enemy fire, and it was later admitted that there were greater enemy forces than initially anticipated. Lance Corporal Jones had joined the Royal Marines at the age of eighteen, and had served in Kosovo and Iraq as well as Afghanistan. He is remembered as courageous and experienced Marine, and his commanding officer said this of him: "Michael was a truly exceptional junior non-commissioned officer, the best at his level. He unflinchingly stood, time after time, shoulder to shoulder with his friends in the very worst of conditions. It will be impossible to replace Michael. He will be remembered as a genuine and loyal friend whose selfless bravery whilst assaulting a formidable Taliban position is an example to us all.” Michael, from Newbald in Yorkshire, was 26 years old.